Focus
by Suiba
Summary: Human negligence can cause a lot of damages but sometimes adrenaline and emergency are the things you need to heal your wounds and come to terms with your issues. Can our CSIs come over their problems or will it prevent them in saving the life of their co
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of these characters… I'm just writing down a few ideas of mine and that's all… don't sue, I'm poor…  
**Summary**: Human negligence can cause a lot of damages but sometimes adrenaline and emergency are the things you need to heal your wounds and come to terms with your issues. There's a point in everyone's life when they realize their own issues… but can our CSIs come over their problems to save one of their own or will it prevent them in saving the life of their colleague? Focus is the keyword…  
Pairing: C/W, G/S (sorta)  
**Note**: I had no beta-reader. Sorry for any annoying mistakes.

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**FOCUS**  
Chapter1

Jim Brass made his way along the courthouse corridor. It was a long day and he was happy he was finally done there. The paperwork and the annoying administrations were definitely not the positive part of his job. But he didn't mind. He had his reasons for becoming a cop and if it meant unpleasant obligations too, he did his best without complaining. Nonetheless, he was happy he was already leaving.

He just caught sight of the afternoon sunlight coming through the entrance door when he heard a loud swearing. Turning around, he spotted Xander Johnson, an old friend of his, walking out of the courtroom, not looking too pleased.

„Innocence does not pay, eh?" Brass said aloud, trying to catch his attention. The man raised his troubled eyes to look at the Captain and let out a heavy sigh before a smile appeared on his face.

"For me, definitely doesn't!" He replied.

"See? That's why I became a cop instead of a prosecutor. I make sure I catch the bad ones!"

"Oh I make sure I catch them too! But if others don't do their jobs properly, I can't do wonders. I can't cross the law."

"Who screwed up this time?"

"Administration problems. The jury cannot accept the evidence and the defense attorney took advantage of it. The bastard is going to mental hospital instead of jail."

"Ouch. But he's gonna be locked up at least."

"Oh, if it was that simple!" Brass patted his old friend on the back.

"Why don't you tell me about it with a drink?" Johnson checked out his watch, sighed and turned to Brass.

"Yeah… my day's over. I think I need it."

3 hours of heavy men-talk later, throughout which Xander Johnson never even mentioned the case, Brass was happy to be called to a crime scene. When his beeper interrupted Johnson's ongoing complaint about why he and his wife should have divorced years ago yet they still needed each other, Brass felt the relief running through his veins. After he excused himself and headed out the door, he made a mental note to invite him to coffee next time. He made his way to his car and took off. He had to go, there was another murder in the town.

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Catherine took a deep breath before she got out of her car. She glanced up at the building in front of her. Rampart. She tried to think of some good speech on her way but nothing coherent popped up in her mind. She had no clue what she was going to tell him but one thing was sure… she couldn't hide from him any longer. She owed Sam Braun. She owed him big time. Hell knows she didn't want to but her own personality… and life didn't leave any other choices. So there she was, ready to face her father because he wanted to see her. After 6 unanswered messages and two cancelled meetings she couldn't delay it any longer. He had called her the night before and she couldn't escape this time.

She felt coward and pathetic for not wanting to talk to him. She felt like one of the many cheaters, trying to rob Sam's money and then disappear. She mentally kicked herself. It wasn't Sam's money that caused the problem. Well not only that at least. The main problem was Sam Braun himself. As she made her way inside the casino, she thought of the many years of friendship they had. He really was like a father to her... beside the existing one, who, as it recently turned out, wasn't even her father.

Catherine couldn't decide which event was the turning point in their relationship. The fact that he's her biological father, or the pure fact that he's a murderer. Confidently walking along the corridor, the inner struggle seemed to get more intense and unexpected thoughts started to bother her. She knew there was hardly any really innocent person on earth anymore. She may not be a murderer but she has sinned many times in her life. She couldn't deny the fact that she… loved Sam but still, her sense of justice didn't seem to let her forget about the one tiny fact that he killed someone. He has sinned like so many other people. Sinned like she has sinned herself and in that moment her biggest sin seemed to be Sam Braun.

Passing the bodyguards, she stopped in front of his door. That was the point when she realized that no matter how much she tried, she couldn't entirely hate him. She couldn't despise him enough to push him away and leave him out of her life. It may be because of the money, because of Lindsey or because of that flaw in her personality which couldn't cut the ties with her father, she didn't know. Suddenly Grissom's, at times obvious, but mostly unspoken objection of her relationship with Sam seemed to annoy her. She may never forgive him for the fact that he lied to her or the horrible fact that she killed a woman, but she cannot help but love him. Maybe if she hadn't discovered that they were biologically related, she would have an easier case but that wasn't possible. She knew it, Sam was aware of it and he didn't want to let go of her. Maybe Sam was right… he indeed did get his money's worth. And even if it seemed that he bought her love, she finally managed to have a truce with herself. She finally accepted that Sam Braun was her father.

But she wasn't quite prepared, when the door opened and she found herself face to face with Sam. For a moment she just stared at him without a word. A warm smile appeared on Sam's face, reaching out a hand to her. She was nervous again but not for the same reasons. They had some serious issues to talk about and in spite of the latest developments regarding her feelings for him, she wasn't sure she was prepared for that talk yet. That was when her beeper interrupted them. She just lifted an apologetic eye to him and he knew. He seemed annoyed but knew she would go anyway.

"6 pm, tomorrow?" He asked. Catherine nodded and without another word she was gone.

By the time Catherine reached her car, huge relief washed over her. There wasn't too much of a point of her visit except for that fact that she at least figured and realized a few things. She was sure she was not going to be unprepared for their next time. She stopped to open her car door when she had the urge to turn around. The parking lot was full of cars and people, everyone minding their own business but still something didn't feel right. She shrugged it off and got into her car.

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Sitting next to Grissom, Sara remained silent. She didn't want to interrupt him in driving and didn't know what to tell him either. It was one of those moments when she couldn't come up with any casual subjects to talk about… with him. Unconsciously she let out a sigh, which didn't remain unnoticed by Grissom, and turned her attention to the road. She wondered when was their turning point going to occur because in the last couple of weeks, she felt that they were close to put an end to their not existing relationship. Whether it was a good turn or an end for good, she had no idea but she knew that it was close. At least she hoped because their whole situation was taking a toll on her.

She hated seeing Grissom not noticing her, or at least pretending not to notice her, she hated to see him getting along with Sofia so well and so often she was jealous of his friendship with Catherine. Still, deep down she knew, it wasn't about the other women in his life but about Gil Grissom himself. What annoyed her the most was the fact that her cards have been open for way too long now… but Grissom… he never told her if he wanted her or not. Not clearly anyway. She would have been satisfied with an "I need time" too. But nothing. She knew the reason of it, though. They never sat down to talk about it and as much as the situation frustrated her, she was too coward to bring it up.

Sara was interrupted in her thoughts when Grissom stopped the car. He gave her a glance before he got out. Sara couldn't help but observe him. He was so different. Ever since Nick was rescued, he seemed to be friendlier to people. She knew it changed him because he saw him every day. He did things he never did before. She never missed the smile on his face whenever he greeted one of his "guys." It wasn't the kind of change that everyone would notice... but she did. Grissom probably realized, they might be CSIs investigating death every day, but they aren't immortal either. That was the main reason why she felt that their moment, one way or another, was going to come.

Closing the car door, Grissom spotted Brass crossing the tape, making his way to them. He heard another car stop and turned around. It was Catherine. Grissom took a deep breath, this meeting was either going to be memorable or miserable. Ecklie, for once, did try to help him and his team. But it wouldn't be Conrad Ecklie if he wouldn't leave at least one person bitter. Grissom didn't know how exactly he imagined getting his guys back himself either, but definitely not this fast and this drastically. He demoted Catherine. Grissom only heard about her fury but haven't met her… yet.

Sara, upon noticing Catherine, turned away, concentrating on Brass' figure which got closer every second. She didn't want to get involved in this one. Catherine shut the car door and walked up to them just when Brass stopped in front of Grissom. Grissom concentrated on Catherine's face, curious how she was going to handle the situation. But she was cool. She just stood there without a word, waiting for any of them to speak before she turned a questioning look at Brass.

"Sorry for the emergency call, I know your duty starts only in half an hour but we need to be faster than the media. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Brass told her.

"Actually, you did. Had a meeting with Sam." She said, intentionally casting a quick glance at Grissom. He raised his eyebrow but he refused to say anything. "But hey, that's the job!" She continued.

"And a quite ugly one this time." Jim informed her. "Four bodies. One outside, three inside. Looks like a home invasion gone bad. No identities, just two seemingly underage boys and an adult."

"And the fourth one?" Sara asked, turning her attention towards the house.

"No idea. The guy has no face left." Brass informed her, getting surprised looks from both ladies. Grissom took a deep breath.

"Alright, Sara, check out the victims with Catherine inside. I'll check the one outside. The others will be here soon to help."

Sara was already on her way when she realized Catherine wasn't following her. She turned back, only to find Catherine, with her head turned, staring to the opposite direction.

"Catherine?" Grissom, hearing Sara's voice, turned to Catherine too. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah." She replied as she slowly turned around. Grissom, with his brows furrowed, stepped closer.

"Catherine, I know it's-"

"I'm coming." She said and without any other words, followed Sara. Confused, Grissom turned to the direction where Catherine was staring just moments before but apart from the empty corner at the end of the street, he couldn't see anything.

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Walking inside the house, Sara took in the appearance. The furniture was trashed and the whole house looked like a mess and the living-room window was wide open. Going in further, she followed the blood trail and found the one "without a face", as Brass has put it.

"This one was just a kid." She turned to the direction of Catherine's voice and found her kneeling at the other victim. She was right, he hardly seemed 17.

"They just seem to get younger each time." They both turned to the male voice coming from the door. Detective Vartann walked inside and stopped right next to Catherine.

"Signs of struggle." Sara spoke, taking a closer look at her victim. "He wasn't just shot. He sure as hell put up a fight. His clothing is badly torn."

"What's upstairs?" Vartann asked the officer, standing next to the staircase.

"I don't know, sir."

"Who was the first officer at the scene?" He asked, while Catherine and Sara both began trying to find fingerprints or anything that could be used to find those that left the building alive.

"Me, sir."

"And you haven't checked the stairs?"

"Seemed unnecessary, sir." Catherine cast a stunned look at the officer before she looked at Sara. Just a look in her eyes indicated that they were thinking the same.

"What's your name?" Vartann asked.

"Connell, sir."

"Captain Brass will be pleased with you, Officer Connel." Vartann replied, taking out his gun.

"Were any of these victims alive when you arrived?" Sara asked the officer as Detective Vartann disappeared on top of the stairs.

"No, ma'am."

"Are you sure?" She asked, catching Catherine's attention too.

"Absolutely, ma'am."

"Did you move them?"

"No, ma'am." Sara frowned.

"What's up?" Catherine asked but before Sara could have replied, with a loud bang Detective Vartann stumbled down the stairs.

"Dammit." Was all he could mutter. Catherine and Sara both jumped to help him.

"Call a medic!" Catherine ordered the officer but Vartann interrupted.

"No! They are upstairs." He groaned but it was too late. By the time the officer took out his gun, two men were already at the foot of the stairs, pointing their guns into his face.

"Drop it!" One of them shouted but the officer didn't move. He kept his aim steady on the man in front of him. The black masks covered both of their faces and the other man cocked his rifle before he aimed it at Catherine.

"Two against one. Even if you kill me, she'll die." The man said. Vartann, not giving a damn about the pain, slowly pulled himself closer to Catherine to cover her if it's needed. The officer, knowing the other man was right, slowly lowered his own gun.

"Good. Now, put it on the floor.. SLOWLY… and kick it over to me." He instructed and the officer did so. The man smiled, that was damn obvious from his eyes. "All of you… walk up to the window and kneel down.

Catherine cast a nervous glance at Sara, the situation wasn't too promising. She bent down to help Detective Vartann when the man grabbed her.

"He'll manage." He hissed and pushed her forward. Sara, knowing she would have the same chances of helping him, slowly knelt down next to Catherine. She turned her head to look at her but the other woman was staring at the floor. Finally Detective Vartann knelt to the other side of Catherine, while the Officer Connell was roughly pushed next to Sara.

"There are a lot of cops outside. You'll never make it." Vartann said.

"If you shut up, they won't notice… and you'll live. If you utter a single word, you'll all die. Simple."

Catherine concentrated on her own breathing. All she could think of was Lindsey. And her gun.

"I've got my gun in its holster on my lower back." She whispered to Vartann. He quickly glanced at Sara and she nodded to indicate she heard it.

"Alright. We're getting out.. if you move, you die. If you shout, you die. If you try to call for help in any ways, you die." They heard their footsteps slowly departing. Sara felt relieved, it could have turned out a lot worse.

"Miss Sidle, Mr. Gris- what the h…" but the officer, just entering the house, didn't have time to pull out his gun.

Catherine felt as if everything was happening in slow motion. Just when the first shot rang out and the cop fell to the floor, she felt Detective Vartann pulling her upwards. All she could see was Officer Connell, previously kneeling next to Sara, jumping in front of her colleague to serve as a shield for the brunette. Vartann immediately took aim and fired. The next thing she felt was Vartann pushing her towards the window and she got the hint. She didn't expect it to be so high and when Catherine hit the ground outside, she knew her ankle was going to be swollen pretty soon.

Looking up, she saw from afar as Brass was pushing Grissom and Nick towards the vans before he pulled out his own gun. Suddenly all the cops were running towards the house and as much as she wanted to run for cover, her ankle gave away and she crouched back down. Suddenly she felt someone covering her with their own body, pushing her down to the ground.

"Don't move." She heard the man saying and she recognized the voice immediately. It was Warrick.

Sara watched as Catherine disappeared and felt Vartann grabbing her arm to make her follow her. But she was distracted when another shot rang out and officer Connell's body jerked in front of her before he crashed into her. She tried to catch him but he fell against her hard, making her lose balance before she hit the floor. Looking up, she realized Vartann has hit one of them and now only one robber was against them. He was faster than Vartann, who barely had time to raise his hand again before the mask-covered man fired. Detective Vartann fell backwards and Sara heard the shouting coming from outside.

She threw a quick glance at the detective before she turned a terrified stare back at the robber. The man jumped forward with his head down, bullets barely missing him. Sara, still under the dead officer, couldn't help but watch as the man stopped in front of her, put the rifle up to her forehead and looked into her eyes. One beat. Two beats. Three beats… and he pulled the trigger.

To Be Continued….


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of these characters… I'm just writing down a few ideas of mine and that's all… don't sue, I'm poor…  
**Summary**: Human negligence can cause a lot of damages but sometimes adrenaline and emergency are the things you need to heal your wounds and come to terms with your issues. There's a point in everyone's life when they realize their own issues… but can our CSIs come over their problems to save one of their own or will it prevent them in saving the life of their colleague? Focus is the keyword…  
Pairing: C/W

SPOILER: Weeping Willows (not major though)

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**FOCUS**  
Chapter2

Sara gave a start. For a moment she was sure she was going to die. About three seconds later she realized she was still alive. Obviously she wasn't the only one left confused. She lifted her gaze and saw the eyes of the robber.

"What the-" but he couldn't finish the sentence. Sara gave another start when she heard another gun go off and watched as the guy hit the floor. From that point nothing registered on her mind. She saw Brass running inside, followed by other officers. They made sure the two robbers were dead but she just sat there, frozen.

She couldn't exactly identify the feeling in that moment. It wasn't pure relief or shock. No, she didn't feel either of them. She felt totally blank. She could feel her own heartbeat in its normal rate and it took a while before she actually heard Brass. Turning her attention to him, she noticed the captain kneeling in front of her, shaking her slightly to get her attention.

"Sara, answer me! Are you okay?" He asked and he seemed upset but she didn't care. She just felt… too numb to care. She felt nothing. When he asked for what seemed like the 100th time, she finally nodded, meeting his gaze to make sure he understood her. Or the other way around, she didn't know. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw as a cop helped Vartann sit up. He appeared to have a wound on his left arm but he was alive.

Suddenly she felt lighter, as if she just got rid of a heavy weight. It took her almost a minute before her mind registered that Brass pulled officer Connell off her. He saw a mixture of relief and rage on the captain's face. Vartann was immediately escorted out with the help of two officers while Brass looked around as if he was looking for something. Then he motioned for another cop to come closer before he turned back to her.

"Sara, where's Catherine?"

"Out..ahm…outside." She uttered, finally finding her voice.

"Outside where?" He asked but she didn't need to answer, he noticed the open window on his own. "Alright. Officer Ryan will take you out! Just go with him." Sara stared at him without a word. "Sara?"

"Alright." She said and went to stand up.

Brass stood up and went to the window. Leaning out he looked down and saw Warrick staring up at him with his hand on Catherine's back. Brass let out a sigh before he spoke.

"Now, you two look really cute down there." Warrick, seeing his face, just grinned back.

"Is everything alright?" Warrick asked while Catherine sat up.

"Not everything but it's safe now. Sara's fine, Vartann's only injured but we lost two of our own."

"Damn."

"Yeah. But are you two okay?"

"I'm fine but Catherine's got a bit of a problem."

"I'm okay." She spoke and stood up. Warrick watched without a word as she tried to walk, only to learn she wasn't that okay after all. "Not a word." She spoke before he could have said anything. Warrick threw a quick glance at Brass, trying to hide the smile from Catherine. He then stood up and without further ado, picked her up.

"Warrick-"

"You're fine, I know." He cut her off and began carrying her towards their SUV.

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Grissom frantically tried to get to the house but the officer, by the order of Brass, didn't let either him, Nick or Greg leave the safe side of the SUV. He knew three of his guys were missing and there were more shots ringing out. Before his worry could have gotten to a higher level, Sara appeared at the end of the SUV, escorted by a cop. Just a quick glance at her expression made it obvious that something wasn't right and Nick and Greg were on her side immediately.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Nick asked.

"No I'm… I'm not hurt." She said and pulled herself together. The sudden change of attitude and facial expression didn't go unnoticed by the men. Grissom didn't like this casual tone. Three seconds ago disbelief and shock covered her face and now she seemed normal again, as if nothing on earth happened. Exactly this behavior spoke volumes to Grissom… something horrible has happened and the fact that Catherine and Warrick were still nowhere to be found, bothered him.

"What happened? We heard the shootings." He said, stepping closer and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"The first officer… he… uhm… made a big mistake. He didn't secure the place."

"You mean the suspect is still here?" Greg asked.

"Suspects." She said. "And were. They are… dead." The way Sara spoke the last word had something unnerving in it.

"The ambulance is on it's way. They will do a check up-"

"I'm fine, I'm not hurt." She cut her boss off. "But Vartann, he got injured. Where is he?"

"We haven't seen him." Greg told her.

"Maybe he was taken to the other side." Nick spoke. "Now only one question's left." He said, turning to Grissom.

"Where are Catherine and Warrick?"

"They are here." Turning their heads to the direction of his voice, they spotted Warrick stopping in front of them, with Catherine in his arms.

Grissom slid the SUV door open to give Warrick place to put her down. Nick jumped forward to help his friend. Even though Catherine was obviously light and Warrick was strong, still, Nick wanted to help instead of standing there and watching. He owed them that… they helped him too.

"The ambulance will be here in a matter of minutes." Grissom said, stopping in front of Catherine. "Where are you hurt?" He asked, scanning her everywhere.

"I'm okay!" Catherine said, sitting on the mat in the car. Upon noticing the skeptical look on Nick's face, she went on. "It's nothing serious it's just a bit of a sprained ankl- AAAAAHH!" She cried out in pain and roughly pushed Grissom's hand away from her ankle.

"Catherine, it's a bit of a broken ankle." Grissom said. Before she could have replied, the sound of the ambulance interrupted them. In a few seconds not only one but two of them parked down not far from their SUV and paramedics got out.

Warrick waved at them and called out that they needed someone there and one of them motioned to the other to get the kit. Grissom straightened up and took a step back to give them space to check out Catherine. He stopped right next to Sara. For a while he watched silently as one of the paramedics took a better look at Catherine's ankle before he turned away, focusing his attention on Sara.

"You should let them examine you too."

"I'm fine." She said, turning to him. "Really." She said in a lighter tone.

"Whose blood is that on you?" Grissom asked, taking a glance at the small blood stain on her top. Sara looked down and just stared at herself. "Sara?" Grissom asked.

"Officer Connell paid the prize for his mistake." Was all she said. Grissom nodded. He silently watched as she glanced back down at her T-Shirt. He saw as she just stared at it for long moments before she raised a hand, running it down on her shirt as if trying to wipe it away. He saw that her hand was shaking, too.

"Alright. We'll bring her in." The paramedic announced as he stood up. "Lady, are you injured?" He asked, noticing the blood on Sara.

"No. It's not my blood." The paramedic nodded.

"I'm going to get the-"

"No, don't bother. I'll just carry her there." Warrick told the paramedic before he looked at Grissom. "I'm going with her." Warrick's tone indicated a statement rather than any enquiry for permission but Grissom didn't mind. He would have gone with her himself if he could… but now that they had even more dead, he knew he couldn't leave. He just nodded in approval.

"Are you ready?" Warrick asked as he slid his arm around her waist but Catherine didn't reply. She was just staring in front of her.

"Ma'am?" The paramedic bent down to look straight into her eyes but she reached out a hand and pushed him out of her sight. Catherine frowned. She could have bet she saw someone standing at the end of the street, just right at the corner, staring at them. No. Staring at her, she thought. She shook her head slightly, trying to push the thoughts away. She was just going paranoid… after such an experience it didn't surprise her.

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking." She said and turned to Warrick. He just gave her a reassuring smile before he picked her up again. When Warrick and Catherine disappeared behind the ambulance, Grissom turned to Sara.

"You have to go home."

"No, you need people here, I-"

"He's right." Brass spoke, stopping behind her. "I won't allow you to go back in there." He said firmly. "Ryan!" He called and the officer appeared. "Take Miss Sidle home."

"Yes, sir."

Sara just stood there staring at Brass and then Grissom but they both held the same expression. With a last glance at Nick and Greg she gave in and turned around.

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Grissom, kneeling on the floor, just stared at the lifeless form of Officer Connell, Sara's voice echoing in his mind. "He paid the prize for his mistake." He damn did, Grissom thought. Nick and Greg checked if there were anyone else upstairs but they didn't find anything new. While processing with their own work, Grissom couldn't help but notice that Brass was fuming. The Captain's effort to try and stay calm didn't work for he was too angry.

Grissom knew what was bothering him. It wasn't only the fact that Catherine, Sara and even Vartann could have ended up a lot worse, but he lost two of his guys because of a mistake. A mistake that –as Vartann has told them- could have been avoided. When Grissom first heard about the negligence of the officer, he was furious himself. But now, seeing him dead in front of him, he knew his fury should have been the biggest consequence that the young man should have faced. But it was Vegas… the city where you either win big or lose big. Unfortunately Officer Connell didn't belong to the lucky ones.

"Where is he?" Grissom heard the too familiar voice from the door and stood up. By the time he turned around he found himself face to face with Conrad Ecklie. Sofia followed him and greeted Grissom with a nod of her head before she joined Nick and Greg.

"I heard about it. That's unacceptable!" He said and Grissom, for once, agreed.

"But they are ok. More or less. I sent Sara home and Warrick went to the hospital with Catherine."

"Hospital?"

"Yeah, might be a broken ankle." Ecklie nodded before he took a step aside and started to look around.

"Careful." Grissom warned him. "You might destroy some evidence." Ecklie's head snapped back to him but for some reason he didn't shoot back.

"I'm heading back to the office. Have to notify a few people." Grissom just nodded, happy to hear that he was leaving. "I'll drop by at the hospital on my way back."

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Warrick sat outside in the waiting room. In the last 45 minutes no one has said anything to him and even though he knew Catherine's injuries weren't too serious, waiting annoyed him. The only person he communicated with not too long ago was Grissom. His boss called a few minutes ago, asking about Catherine and letting him know to expect Ecklie. He wasn't too thrilled to hear about him and wished the doctors would be faster and they could get out before Ecklie actually arrived.

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Catherine concentrated on the ceiling above her. She got a pain killer and it worked fine. While waiting for the doctor to finish with her, she got lost in her thoughts. Thinking back at the events she suddenly realized she could have ended up dead. Her whole day seemed to be weird and it unsettled her. She had no idea what happened to Sara and Vartann inside but she knew she was even luckier than them. For a moment she wondered how Sara was doing, whether the events wore her out as much as they did her. Or maybe even more, after all she was closer to the "fire". But Sara was a strong girl, she thought, or at least she always appeared to be.

Catherine didn't know what got into her, her thoughts wandered to places where she has never been before. She thought about Warrick's arms around her, trying to cover her. She realized that was probably the point when her adrenaline stopped rising and she managed to calm down. She felt safe there. Still, something bugged her. She didn't know why but she felt uneasy all day…. even before the incident at the crime scene.

"We're done, Miss Willows." The doctor announced, startling her. "It isn't broken but I put a fixing bandage on it. For the next three days you have to stay home."

"I'm sorry, doc, but I have to work." She said, leaning forward.

"Miss Willows. If you stay put and follow my advice and do not try to stand or walk or do anything that is physically straining, you can go back to work in about three days. If you do not let it rest, it will take much longer to heel. Your choice." Catherine hated that the doctor was right.

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Grissom shut the engine and let out a sigh. He glanced at the building in front of him. The building in which Sara's apartment was. He leant back in his seat and closed his eyes. It was still dark outside, the morning sun still nowhere in sight. He was off work a lot earlier anyway. Grissom wondered why Ecklie let he and his team go home earlier even though he had a strong suspicion that it wasn't Ecklie's idea at all. In spite of being a workaholic, Grissom didn't mind leaving work this time.

He knew he wanted to check on both Catherine and Sara but things didn't go too smooth. He called Catherine to ask if she was already at home but his inquiry after her wellbeing turned into a smaller fight. He knew they had some unresolved issues and the stress pressed upon her just a few hours before definitely didn't help that matter. She had that tone again. That tone that she sometimes had with him ever since their conflict about her visit at the Highball bar. Grissom knew he was unfair with her back then but he was annoyed and Grissom had to admit he miscounted this time. He thought she would just forget about it like they did with their other fights… but this time she didn't. He could also feel the disappointment and annoyance of the fact that she was demoted.

Unfortunately he got annoyed himself and their conversation turned into a… rather strong disagreement, which ended up with Catherine hanging up on him. He then called Warrick, who quickly told him he was driving her home. At least she was in good hands, Grissom thought. He, however, didn't hear about Sara ever since he sent her home.

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It took the doorbell to ring three times before Sara finally opened the door for him. When he saw her, he immediately knew that Sara's injures were not physical. She just walked back inside without a word, leaving the door open for him to come in. Grissom silently took a seat next to her on the sofa, waiting for her to say something. When he realized he was the one who had to start the conversation, he cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She replied, maybe a bit too quick.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Grissom." She said and silence settled down.

Grissom couldn't talk to Vartann yet, so he still had no idea what happened inside the building. But just a look at Sara told him it must have been close to a nightmare. He didn't want to push her but he knew the only way for him to help her was to find out what happened. Knowing that pushing her was not a good idea this time, he decided to settle down in her pace, waiting for her to be ready to talk. Fortunately, Sara took the first step… yet again.

"I… I don't think I can go to work tomorrow." Was all she said and that was when Grissom knew he had reason to worry. Sara Sidle's life was her work… and if she didn't want to go to work, that definitely meant that something was wrong.

"Alright. Take…. just take as much time as you want." Silence settled between them again for a short while before Grissom spoke again. "Maybe you should talk to someone. Maybe a shrink or…" He trailed off but she didn't show give any reactions. "… or me". He finally finished.

"I just want to be alone for a while." Was all she said and Grissom understood. This wasn't the right time. With a sigh he stood up.

"If you need anything, call me." Sara just nodded. "Sara." She looked up at him. "Call me."

"I will." She said and stood up to escort him to the door.

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When Warrick shut the engine in front of Catherine's house, her mother was waiting outside. Catherine barely had time to open the car door when Lily was already there, tearing it open.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Catherine's mother asked, obviously upset. "I wanted to go to the hospital but by the time I found out about it, Gil told me you were on your way home." She said and hugged Catherine tight. Catherine didn't have time to say anything because in the next moment her mother pulled away and grasping Catherine's shoulders, fumed. "WHY didn't you CALL me? Do you have an idea how worried I was!"

"Mom, it's okay. Didn't Gil also tell you that it's nothing serious?"

"He did but still I had no word from you! I was SICK WORRIED, Catherine!" But Catherine just rolled her eyes. As annoyed as it made her, she still understood her mother. She would have reacted the same if it had been about Lindsey.

"I know. But I'm okay."

"Sort of." Warrick finally interrupted, receiving a glare from Catherine. "She almost broke her left ankle. Thankfully it's just sprained but the doctor ordered her to rest for at least three days."

"Oh rest she will get, I can promise you that." Her mother said firmly. When Catherine opened her mouth to say something, she was cut off again. "No arguments here!" Lily said and helped her out of the car.

"Let me help."

"No, Warrick, you've helped a lot already. It's okay, I'll be fine." Catherine said, leaning slightly against her mother to support her own weight.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Call me if you need anything!"

"Alright." She nodded and watched with her mother as Warrick got into his car and drove away. Catherine stared after his car and a small smile appeared on her face. His offer and caring that he gave her all day warmed her heart. But her smile faded when she spotted something on the pavement not too far away. Uneasiness crept into her for a moment and she didn't like it. Her instinct told her something wasn't right and she had felt it enough times that day.

"Catherine, are you okay?" Her mother interrupted her. She turned to her mother, averting her eyes from the street.

"Yes… I just, let's just go inside…NOW, okay?" She said but saw the confused look on her mother's face. "Ah I just want to see Lindsey. It was a tough day."

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Grissom stood in the middle of his office, reading a case file. He was facing a hectic day. With Sara and Catherine away -as a result of the events from previous day, he was short of people. Things didn't start off too well anyway. Sara was out of touch, all he found was a message from her that she needed a bit more time than one day. It bothered him that she didn't ask for his help. Grissom was used to be the one whom his guys turned to if they needed help or even if they didn't, he at least knew what was going on. He always felt ready if any of them needed him. But this time it was different.

So there he was, one hour before his duty started, waiting for the back-up guys to come, while problems and tensions seemed to pile up. Sara seemed to cut herself away from everybody. If this wouldn't have been enough, Catherine didn't call for his help either and he was somewhat hurt that she called Warrick earlier to take her to Ecklie. Ecklie, who, as Grissom was told, couldn't help the urgency to talk to her and make her sign a few papers because of the accident.

Grissom of course knew why she didn't call him. There was a time when he would have been her first call but not since that gap appeared between them. Unfortunately this gap seemed to be a lot harder to get rid of than what he first thought and he wondered if they were ever going to be as close as they used to be.

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Catherine got out of Warrick's car, supporting herself with the walking stick that they picked up from the hospital on their way home. The doctor had said it would be useful in case she needed to walk. Catherine had to admit the doctor was right and she couldn't go to work even if she wanted to. Her ankle hurt like hell and maybe this short break was going to do good for her anyway. It gave her a bit of a chance to interact with Lindsey, who, not expecting this new chance with her mother, had already made plans for the night. She had arranged with a classmate of hers that she would sleep at their house and as much as Catherine wanted to be with her, she insisted that Lindsey went to her friend.

The reason was simple. She couldn't expect her daughter to forget about her schedule and previously arranged meeting just because Catherine Willows finally had some time off. Even though it did felt damn good when Lindsey offered and would have been more than happy to stay at home, Catherine wanted to be fair with her. As a deal, they agreed that instead of the planned two nights, Lindsey will sleep at her friend only one night so they can spend the rest of Catherine's unexpected holiday together.

"Let me help you." Warrick said as he stopped next to her. He was such a gentleman, she thought and suddenly found it hard to turn him down. But she had to.

"No, Warrick. You're already late. I'm okay." She said, placing a hand on his chest.

"Sure?" He said, place his hand on hers.

"Sure." She smiled back.

She waited for him to turn around and get into his car but he didn't move. He just stood there, seemingly hesitant, making Catherine's heart beat faster with each second. For a moment he looked as if he was about to say something but then he remained silent. He just stared into her eyes for a few more seconds before his smile grew and he leant forward. Catherine stood stoned as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Alright. Call me if you need anything." He said and this time he did turn around. She mentally kicked herself and managed to smile again when he looked back at her.

Warrick and his car were already out of sight long ago but Catherine still couldn't avert her eyes from the direction where he just disappeared. She just stood, confused. She didn't dare to think of the possibility of what that might have meant. No, it couldn't be, she thought.

She only realized that she was standing outside in the nightfall, alone, when her phone gave a beeping sound. Taking it out of her bag, she realized the battery was off and she couldn't even turn it back on. She turned around and entered her house. Lindsey was all set to go, she wanted to catch her in time to say her good bye.

Closing the door, Catherine put her bag down and a bit awkwardly though but made her way further into the house.

"Ah there you are!" Lily said, putting down a napkin before she walked out of the kitchen. "So, I'm dropping Lindsey off at Alicia. Then I'll go home, grab a few things and I'll be back in… about an hour."

"Alright, mom. Take it easy." Catherine said, watching her mother grabbing her stuff in a hurry and she didn't like it. Her mother had a bad habit of being hectic sometimes. Catherine still wondered how on earth did she have a driving license. "No need to rush. I'll be fine."

"Oh I know you'll be. You have company." The way her mother said this, made Catherine arch an eyebrow. Her tone was overly sweet and suggestive and that was what Catherine didn't like. Her mother was not supposed to be suggestive… usually what pleased her mother, annoyed her. So if her mother was so smug about something, she was most probably going to be annoyed about it.

"Company?" She repeated.

"Yes. You know Catherine, you really should introduce more friends of yours to me. It was always about the bad ones."

"Bad ones?" Catherine repeated, starting to be annoyed.

"Yes. But this time it's different. Howard is different than the others. I really, really like him." Catherine was shocked.

"Mom. You never liked any of my male friends." She pointed out. "And who the hell is Howard?"

"Ah, Catherine." Her mother rolled her eyes and let go of the topic. She knew Catherine would not talk about it –again- so instead of getting into a fight with her, she picked up Lindsey's stuff. "Lindsey." She shouted toward the door which lead outside. "We have to go."

"Mom!" Catherine was definitely annoyed at that point. She furiously turned after her mother, ready to get into the fight that Lily tried to avoid, only to be interrupted by Lindsey. Catherine's daughter passed her by and took her bag from her grandmother. She then walked back to her mother to give her a kiss. Catherine just threw a glance at Lily, a look that told her they were not finished yet.

"Call me if you're there." Catherine told her daughter.

"Don't worry, Catherine." Her mother said, opening the door. "She'll be fine. You just relax with Howard here." Lily said, ushering Lindsey out through the door while waving the other hand to the direction of her visitor. The visitor that Catherine totally forgot about. Catherine's brows furrowed again, confusion all over her face regarding "WHAT HOWARD".

"Bye mom! Bye Howard!" Lindsey waved before Lily shut the front door.

Catherine just threw a quick glance to the direction where Lindsey just waved at a second before but she immediately jerked her head back in the moment she realized "what Howard" it was. Her eyes went wide and she gripped the walking stick tighter to support her weight. In the middle of her house, Catherine found herself face to face with none other than Howard Delhomme.

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To Be Continued…

(Clarification BUT also might be SPOILER: For those who might not remember: Howard Delhomme is the killer from season 4's "After The Show". Catherine became his next obsession after he murdered two models.)

And thanks a LOT for the reviews, guys! And sorry for yet another cliffhanger... but that's just the fun of it, isn't it? gg


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